Engineering
Engineering or Main engineering is the location from which the ship's main power systems are controlled. It is usually located in a starship's secondary hull, if the ship has one. See also * Engineer __TOC__ Overview Engineering's primary purpose is to be the central point for control of all engineering systems aboard a starship, especially those related to propulsion and power generation. The matter/antimatter reaction chamber (also known as the warp core) is located in Engineering. Engineering can also be used as a command and control center, overriding primary centers such as the Bridge or Auxiliary control. 22nd century design NX class starships of the 22nd century were the first Human vehicles to carry a warp reactor capable of speeds up to Warp 5. (ENT: "Broken Bow", et al.) Aboard an NX class ship, a section of Engineering was situated on E Deck. (ENT: "Zero Hour") :A schematic of the NX-class vessel shows the upper portion of Engineering on D Deck while its lower section was a part of E Deck. The latter corresponds with a canon reference in "Zero Hour", while the former has yet to be supported or contradicted by on-screen sources. 23rd century design On the original Constitution class starships, Engineering was a two-deck-tall room that housed the main dilithium reactor, as well as a large transparent grill that overlooked power conduits. The room was extensively refitted on Constitution-class starships in the late 2260s to include additional computers, offices, and rooms around the main area. (TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver", "The Naked Time", "The Conscience of the King", "The Ultimate Computer", "Mirror, Mirror", "Day of the Dove") Towards the end of the 23rd century, the Engineering department on refit Constitution-class was drastically changed, spanning multiple decks. The uppermost level served as the structural support strong back of the ship, and was the anchoring framework for the connecting dorsal and the warp nacelle pylons. On the forward end of this level was the engineering computer monitoring room, which encircled the intermix shaft and opened, to the rear, into the engineering computer bay. The rear bulkhead of the computer bay contained an emergency section door which lowered to the deck below, and separated the warp engine room from the extended horizontal intermix area; the door dropped automatically in the event of a radiation leak or pressure loss. On the Constitution class ship, a narrow corridor bypassed the computer bay on the port side and led aft, down the center of the level. On either side of this passageway were mounted the four manoeuvring thrusters which rested beneath the upper hull of the secondary hull strong back. These thrusters were used for vessel course control when within close proximity of drydock facilities. The lower engineering deck would typically house the Engineering department. Located in the center of the room, and extending for many levels both above and below the deck, was the vertical linear intermix chamber. This complex, a radically new design in intermix technology, provided operational power for the impulse drive system and furnished enough additional energy to power all other shipboard systems. Both matter and antimatter for this chamber were contained in a series of magnetic bottles, which would normally be housed in pods at the base of the intermix shaft. These pods could be ejected from the ship in case of an extreme emergency via two large blow-away panels in the outer hull. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture) 24th century design 24th century starships featured a more modern approach to the Engineering facility. Aboard the ''Galaxy''-class starship, Engineering was an open-plan facility, directly accessible from the corridor. Consisting of two primary levels, it housed the starship's warp core and primary engineering support systems. The corridor bulkhead housed the master systems display. Inside the main section, the master systems display was the operational focus of the room. Beyond this, heading towards the warp core, the chief engineer's office and several support consoles were located on the left, and the assistant chief engineer's console on the right. These formed part of the bulkhead protecting the main part of engineering from the warp core. Access to the upper level, a circular area surrounding the warp core, could be found by a ladder on the left of the core or an elevator on the right. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint") Background information During production of The Next Generation, the central console in engineering was affectionately known as the "pool table". It was previously used as a console in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home in Starfleet Command, San Francisco. The wall-size okudagram in Engineering of the ''Enterprise''-D reveals such secrets as the location of the ship's giant mouse, the giant duck, and what might be Gene Roddenberry's World War II bomber. The display shown on the right features the original okudagram, it was replaced by the detailed and more colored version during the set refit before filming the third season of TNG. External Links Greg Tyler. "Where on the USS Enterprise Is the Engine Room?", , at Trekplace.com ( ) Greg Tyler. "Re-Engineering Main Engineering: The Evolution of the Engine Room in the Original Star Trek Television Series", , at Trekplace.com ( ) de:Maschinenraum nl:Engineering Category:Starship sections